Storms and Safety Checks
by Winter Winks 221
Summary: Our heroes end up in an inn on a stormy night...
1. Chapter 1

A flash of lightning illuminated the gloomy room. Amidst the nanosecond of illumination was just a single bed and a small, limp sofa sagging in the corner.

"So, this is our quarters for the night," a one eyed white mouse announced dryly to his trembling companion- a short and stumpy brown hamster in a blue suit and yellow striped tie.

"Looks...looks like it, sir," the hamster replied, his knees knocking together like banging doors.

...

Danger Mouse did not wish to know what he had just stepped in- but it was squelchy and wet. He grimaced and wiped his boot across the floorboards with a slight shudder. The boots made a loud, dragging noise, causing Penfold to jump and scream in fright.

"Cor, what's that!?" He asked in alarm, little eyes squinting through the lens of his glasses to identify the unseen enemy.

"Steady on, Penfold, that was me," Danger Mouse replied reassuringly, ceasing his foot wiping. "My boots are going to need a wash." he lamented.

"Sorry, DM," Penfold replied sheepishly.

"It's not your fault, Penfold."

Just then, another flash lit up the room, and the World's Greatest Secret Agent grabbed his assistant by the collar and deftly leaped onto the bed using his great athletic prowess- ignoring Penfold's scream of alarm at the sudden action.

Two thuds followed the jump.

...

"There, that should do us, eh Penfold?" DM noted with satisfaction, looking across the room triumphantly from his stance on the bed.

"What I don't understand, Chief, is why you had to jump on the bed." Penfold objected, standing beside his friend. "Surely your mother told you to never jump on the bed!"

"Penfold, shush!" DM replied sternly, glaring at the hamster.

"Yes sir," Penfold obeyed, before a question occurred to him. "Um, sir?"

"Yes, Penfold?" Danger Mouse asked.

"What were the thuds the author mentioned 8 lines before now?" The bespectacled assistant asked. "We landed on the bed with a 'flump!'"

Danger Mouse chuckled. "Those were my boots, Penfold! I kicked them off mid jump- and for the record, it was a _'thwump!'_ we landed on the bed with, not a ' _flump!'_ Honestly, where do you get these ideas?"

"It's not me getting them sir- it's the author!"

"Yes, you're quite right, Penfold. It is the author you're getting the ideas from. Now, for the author's all-important question, the _but de l'histoire,_ if you prefer."

"Pardon, Chief?" Penfold asked in astonishment- and then jumped as a third flash of lightning struck outside, followed by a low, loud rumble of thunder that sounded much louder than before.

"That's French for 'the purpose of this story,' Danger Mouse answered knowledgeably. He hadn't noticed Penfold's involuntary reaction- but he suspected it.

Penfold had been even more petrified than usual when the storm hit them on their way home after halting Greenback 's plans to rule the world by using crickets to hypnotise people through their song. Luckily, they sought shelter in a nearby inn. Unfortunately, a medieval dungeon would be homelier than this, but there was little they could do until the storm blew off, and both had had a good night's sleep.

"And what is the purpose of the story, Chief?" Penfold asked, to try and forget how his knees were banging together. Cor, they were going to be bruised in the morning!

"Who's going to get the bed?"

"We'll sort that later, DM! What's the purpose of the story?" Penfold asked again.

Danger Mouse took a deep breath, and Penfold realised his mistake. The mouse's face moulded into an expression of annoyance. "I just told you what the purpose was, Penfold." He said slowly and patiently. "What was the last thing I said to you?"

"It was 'I just told you what the purpose was, Penfold!' Chief!" Penfold remarked innocently. "Cor, what a daft plot for a story!"

"No, no, before that, Penfold."

"It was 'who is going to have the..." Penfold broke off as he stared at the bed in horror. "You mean..."

"Yes, Penfold," Replied Danger Mouse, grimly. "One of us will have to kip on the sofa for the night." Lightning and thunder accompanied this grim conclusion. Silence for exactly 3.6 ¾ seconds...and then...

"Oh 'eck!"

"Exactly," Danger Mouse nodded gravely.

Penfold looked up at his boss. "How will we decide, sir?" He asked quietly, with all the seriousness of a civil servant, and the timidity of a civil servant close to a mental breakdown.

"Ah. That, my dear Penfold, will be decided the proper, old fashioned way. The way knights would be decided to duel, the way the notorious Mack the Skipper decided his next unfortunate victim, the way kings were decided before the Battle of Hastings in 1066!"

"Ohh, and what might that be, Chief?"

"We will eeny meeny miny moe for the bed of course! What else were we going to do, toss a coin?"

"I knew I shouldn't have asked." Penfold muttered quietly, before turning back to face his boss.

...

Later, Penfold was shivering on the sofa under a ragged and faded blanket. He feared this would happen to him. Still, judging from the way Danger Mouse was rolling on the bed, it was obvious it wasn't any comfier.

"Alright there, sir?"

"Just getting comfy, Penfold." The mouse said nonchalantly. "I say, this bed's harder than a rock!"

"Did you check it for peas, Chief?" Penfold asked cheekily, giggling.

Danger Mouse blinked at his best friend, before a smile broke his stoicism, and he chuckled. "Checking for peas indeed, Penfold!" He answered cheerfully. For once, he didn't revert to his stiff upper lip, or tell Penfold to shush.

This response pleased the young hamster, and he felt glad the joke had cheered his dear friend up.

' _Though it would be nice if they had comfier places to sleep on...'_ he thought glumly, as he felt his toes get into their fifth tangle with a conspicuous spring. Fortunately, DM fixed the problem -permanently to boot- by filing off the spring with their hotel key.

"Cor, thanks chief! Thought me toes had it that time!" Penfold exclaimed in relief, wriggling them in relief.

"Don't mention it old chum," Replied Danger Mouse with a smile before yawning. "I am beyond knackered."

"Me too, DM," Penfold agreed, before removing his specs and laying down on the sofa. "Night, night, chief."

"Good night, my friend. Sweet dreams." DM answered warmly.

...

When the little hamster opened his eyes several hours later, all he could see was blackness- but he felt something cold and slimy worming its way around his left ankle and into his socks. Alarmed, he grabbed his specs for a closer look- and screamed.

Amidst the darkness was a glowing octopus like creature looming luminously -and ominously- over him, a threatening glare into its deadly, beady eyes. The petrified assistant attempted to kick the monster away from him, but to no avail. His free leg jabbed frenziedly at thin air as the hideous creature darted away with surprising agility. He kept screaming all the while, feeling his heart race the London Marathon in his chest.

The beast struck Penfold on the head with a hard blow. Dazed, the young hamster stopped kicking and screaming.

And that was when he heard a resounding blow.


	2. Chapter 2

Penfold watched in giddy amazement as the monster fell unconscious, revealing Danger Mouse with his arm in a post 'Kung Moggy' move.

The poor hamster was so relieved that he felt his head spin, before blackness consumed his mind, and he felt himself falling, falling...

...

On coming to, Penfold noticed a bright golden object above him. As his sight was blurred, he couldn't see it properly. _'Is it the moon? Why am I outside?'_ he wondered, worriedly.

The little hamster attempted to rise and survey his surroundings- only to jump as a warm paw touched his shoulder. All at once, he registered he was in the room he was sharing with the Chief, and that his head was throbbing like mad.

"Are you alright, little friend?"

Penfold noted the voice and relief washed over him as he recognised whom it was who spoke. But he was too much in shock to register what DM had said.

The World's Greatest Secret Agent was kneeling by Penfold, his expression concerned- but his one eye shining with relief that his best friend was awake.

Penfold was unused to seeing his boss so shaken- and yet, his best friend was so unnerved that it was scaring him. Not his usual cowardice, but more...unsettled. He tried to distract himself by watching his friend dip a flannel in a bowl of water before placing it tenderly over the blooming bump on his poor, sore noggin, and holding it in place.

A cold shock rushed through his system, lasting only a few brief moments, before the throbbing began to gradually ebb away. Smiling gratefully at Danger Mouse for the simple action, he let himself relax again, and he felt his eyes slowly, slowly drooping, and his mind drifting from the waking world, when...

"Penfold?"

"Sorry, sir?" Penfold asked in alarm, snapping out of his thoughts and blinking owlishly at the white mouse at his side.

"Penfold, I said 'are you alright?'" DM asked in concern, looking over at Penfold with a critical eye, searching for any other signs of physical injury or psychological distress.

"I'm fine, I think. Just got a bump on the head, and a fright. But that's normal for me, sir." He lowered his head, feeling quiet shame that he had once again reacted like the coward he was.

Danger Mouse frowned in concern and sympathy. Even for his assistant's normal cowardly reaction to missions, it had been a particularly nasty attack Penfold had endured. "Penfold...I do normally cope with your reactions to danger," he began, and on seeing Penfold tense, he took his friend's paw in his own and gave it a reassuring, loving squeeze.

Penfold relaxed almost immediately, which was a good sign for the mouse. Danger Mouse continued softly "I meant this was a particularly serious attack you suffered tonight, my friend. I don't blame you for being frightened. If anything, I should have checked for danger before boarding here."

"I don't blame you, chief," Penfold answered in one breath, and DM smiled. Ah, good old Penfold- always loyal to him even when he was in self-doubt.

"Thank you," He answered, smiling at his best friend warmly. "I am still sorry you got attacked though." He wrapped an arm round Penfold's shoulders, and he couldn't help but let a small smile form as he felt his beloved assistant snuggle up to him, burying his head in the mouse's side.

"That's alright, DM," Penfold mumbled sleepily, before suddenly emitting a loud yawn. "With no disrespect, Danger Mouse- could we get some sleep? I'm tired."

"As am I, old chum." Danger Mouse confessed, suddenly feeling the last of the adrenaline from before seep from his veins, leaving him feeling burned out. But then a thought occurred to him. "Penfold," he began.

"Yes, sir?"

"I get the distinct feeling you're not willing to sleep on the sofa again,"

"In all honesty...no, sir. I'm not that keen."

"I thought as much," Mused DM. "Well, I've decided that...ahem..."

"Yes, Chief?"

"We'll share the bed, alright? But just for tonight." Danger Mouse concluded.

"Cor, thanks, sir!" Penfold exclaimed happily, throwing his arms round DM's neck and planting a kiss on his cheek. The White Wonder felt his face warm at this heartfelt action, but he didn't comment on it- unlike the time Penfold did it after Danger Mouse saved him from being killed by Greenback when the villain wanted to get the agent to retrieve ingredients for a magic spell.

That still haunted Danger Mouse in his sleep to this very day. How close he had come to losing his best friend.

"Now, not a word to anyone about this, alright?" The agent continued, giving his assistant a meaningful look. He did have a reputation to keep up, after all.

"Of course not, DM. My lips are sealed!" Penfold exclaimed dramatically as he removed his specs again, causing DM to chuckle.

"Well, goodnight, Penfold." He said fondly, certain that their secret would be safely kept between them.

"Night, night, chief." Penfold answered with another yawn, continuing to cuddle up to Danger Mouse. He smiled as he felt an arm wrap itself round him and hold him tight.

And with those parting words, the two headed on their separate paths into Morpheus's realm. Undoubtedly to dream of their favourite things, or of their craziest adventures, or something of that nature.

But no matter where they would end up, they both knew they would end up back together again-either in the waking realm or in Morpheus' domain.


End file.
